The Unsung Hero

Caron Butler was the first big off-season acquisition that came on board for these new look Clippers. Then came 5-time All-Star Chauncey Billups, and Chris Paul soon followed. The big splashes that were quickly made after Butler signed may have taken some of the spotlight away, but that hasn’t phased him one bit.

Butler has snatched up the role as the silent killer. He has been quietly putting up highly effective and efficient numbers so far, averaging 15.1 point per game on only 12.7 shots attempted. The 3-point line has also been one of his best buddies so far.

Butler has been playing off the ball a lot more this season. But he has been very successful in spotting up and shooting the long ball, as he’s been knocking down a career high 1.9 3-pointers per game, on 36 percent shooting from deep. Coming into the season, CB was known for his play with the ball, as he would bring in most of his points creating shots for himself. Now, things have changed. This season, 78 percent of Butler’s points are off an assist. That’s a huge jump from having 62 percent of his baskets assisted in his time at Dallas, and 44 percent of his points coming off an assists when he was an All-Star in Washington. Although Butler has altered his game in this new situation, his efficiency rating has improved from last season, while his usage rate has dropped from 25 percent last season to 20.5 percent.

For an All-Star veteran, who reached the 10,000 points mark on Monday night, to adjust his game so smoothly with a new team already loaded with weapons, is something we don’t see often. That’s why Butler deserves a ton of credit for the way he carries himself and how he has been performing. He understands that he will not be used offensively to the degree he was used before, but he still manages to put up the same amount of points per game and finds plenty of other way to change the outcome of a game.

Lovin’ Us Some January

The New Year has been good to the Clippers. With an 11-4 record in January, the new pieces are looking more and more comfortable with each game that goes by. There was domination inside Staples Center in January, as the Clips almost went undefeated at home until Kevin Love decided to come and crash the party with his buzzer beating 3-pointer to win it for the Wolves on Jan. 20. But I think the Clippers will be happy with a 10-1 home record in January.

When Clipper Nation is hosting, the Clips shift into a completely different gear. It’s expected for teams to put up numbers better than their usual season average when they are play in front of the home crowd. But the Clippers January numbers went above and beyond.

At home, the fine-tuned Clippers averaged a sharp 48 percent shooting from the field in January and knocked down an impressive 37 percent from beyond the arc. Their average margin of victory was by more than 10 points, as they scored 101 points per game and while only allowing less than 91 points.

The next step is becoming that feared road team, and the Clippers clearly know that. They went 1-3 in away games in January, and have nine of the next 14 games on the road in February. The effort on defense and crashing the glass will most definitely need to tighten up once they hit that road trip, but the offensive efficiency will also need to improve. The Clippers shot 42 percent from the field and 36 percent from long distance while they were on the road in January. With teams like the Spurs, the Sixers and the Nuggets awaiting their arrival this month, the Clippers will have no choice but to face the challenge head on.

Prepare for Buckets in Washington

One of the biggest differences between today’s Clippers and last season’s group is their poise and consistency. That is why you can expect this current Clipper team to not get lackadaisical even when they face the struggling Washington Wizards on Feb. 4.

In the two meetings with the Wizards last season, the Clippers put up a total of 249 points, the most they scored against any team in two games. The Wizards have virtually the same roster as the last season, so that should be a big hint that points will be scored in this ball game.

Putting up more than 83 shots a game, the Wizards average the third most shots taken but only hit 41.9 percent of them and 28.9 percent of their 3-point shots (twenty-seventh in the NBA). You would only need to watch a few of their games to know they really like their isolation plays and look to go one-one-one on the offensive end pretty often. Hence the 17.5 assists per game that the team averages, which puts them at 28th in the league.

But let’s not forget about the weapons they do have. John Wall has the ability to light up a team single-handedly on any given night. He averaged 28.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 9.0 assists versus the Clips last season. Without Andray Blatche in their lineup due to injury, Washington will have to rely on Wall even more than before, but he should be up for that type of challenge as he goes against Chris Paul. If the Clippers do not take this team lightly, play good interior defense and force them into taking perimeter shots, then they should be able to pull out a victory.

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More: The Numbers Game: Holding Down the Paint

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